Patient Education and FAQ's

How do I choose a Pediatrician and pediatric practice to care for my child or children?

Interviewing a pediatrician in person is a very important step toward making a selection of your child's doctor. We invite you to make an appointment to visit one of our offices. At that appointment, you will meet with one of the providers who will walk you through our office policies and answer any questions you may have.

What are some of the practice's special interests?

We enjoy taking care of infants, children and young adults from birth through college. Each age presents different challenges and rewards. Our fourteen pediatricians, three nurse practitioners and entire staff are interested in all facets of children's health care, including but not limited to sports medicine, infectious disease, allergy, weight management and developmental-behavioral issues.

Does your practice use nurse practitioners?

Yes, we have three certified pediatric nurse practitioners on staff. Our nurse practitioners are available to help you, under the doctors' supervision.

If your office is very busy and my child needs to be seen today, what is your policy?

We hope and expect that PAMPA can always provide the health care your child needs in a timely, sensitive and caring manner. We have found that we can best serve you by offering same day appointments for sick children. If you need immediate assistance, please call our office promptly so we can help you determine if your child needs to be seen.

Will my child have a primary doctor or does he/she see whomever is handling sick patients that day?

You may choose the physician or nurse practitioner you wish to see. If the health care provider of your choice is unavailable, we encourage you to see one of our other providers. We are confident that your child will receive the same excellent care.

How are calls for advice handled during office hours? During evening and weekend hours?

Our phone nurse is specially trained to answer most of your routine questions. If your call needs to be referred to a physician or nurse practitioner, he/she will contact you at the middle or end of the day. As a general rule we will not allow our staff to interrupt the physicians for telephone calls unless it is an emergency. If an urgent situation should arise after hours, call any of the regular office numbers and your call will be forwarded to a Pediatric Nurse-on-Call. The nurse will be able to advise you, or if necessary, will contact a physician to return your call. For emergencies that require immediate assistance, please dial 911.

What are your average waiting times for scheduling a routine visit?

We suggest scheduling healthy checkups 1-2 months in advance.

What are your waiting times to be seen after arrival for a scheduled appointment time?

Our goal is to have our patients seen with in 1 hour of their scheduled appointment time. However, if an emergency arises or we are seeing an increased amount of sick children, your wait time might be slightly longer. Our staff will keep you informed of any circumstances that lead to any unusual delay in seeing your child as scheduled.

What is the immunization policy of the practice?

We believe very strongly that vaccination with currently available vaccines is absolutely the right thing to do for all children and adults. We believe vaccines are safe and effective and that delaying or declining vaccines puts children at risk. Therefore we endorse the vaccine statement from the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Please see our full vaccine statement in the patient forms section.

How does the practice handle payment for services?

Our practice requires that copays and charges for non-covered services must be paid at each visit. For patients not covered by insurance in which PAMPA participates, we require complete payment for our services at the time of the office visit. We understand that this may be difficult for families at times; therefore, our patient account representatives will be happy to discuss payment arrangements with you.

Will the practice help me evaluate doctors recommended by my health plan? Our providers will be happy to assist you in recommending a physician on your insurance plan.

Until what age will you continue to see my child?

Until their 22nd birthday. It is a thrill to see them grow, graduate high school, drop in from college and then enter the world.

Do you refer only to pediatric specialists?

Our providers will refer you to a specialist that will best meet the needs of your child.

The content on our web site (and the links to external sites) are provided for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to replace the advice of a professional healthcare physician, and should not be taken as medical advice. Additionally, this content should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease. The content is in no way meant to be a substitute for professional medical care.
If you have any questions about any of the content on our web site (or another), please contact our practice to discuss.